Parties split on legitimate defence bill (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, May 5 - A bill boosting the right to legitimate self defence continued to spawn disputes after its passage from the House to the Senate Thursday.
    The bill OKs reacting to an attack on one's premises at night or, during the day, by an intruder who has used violence, threats or deceit. But it preserves police rights to investigate whether the reaction was proportional to the attack.
    Rightwing parties such as the populist Northern League have slammed the bill as being too weak and allegedly only allowing people to defend themselves properly at night, while leaving them open to prosecution.
    Sporting a T-shirt saying "Defence is always legitimate", League leader Matteo Salvini said Friday "we are ready to collect signatures for a referendum to cancel" what he called an "awful" bill. He said the League would move for a referendum "if they go forward with this rubbish". Salvini said it was "unacceptable" that the bill grants full rights to defend oneself "only" in the case of night-time intrusions but sets conditions for daytime ones and preserves police powers to investigate whether the reaction was proportional to the threat.
    Leftwing parties including the ruling centre-left Democratic Party have attacked the bill as giving too much license to shoot in a move that will allegedly increase gun violence.
    There were also internal party splits on the issue.
    Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso weighed into the debate Friday saying "it's just as well there is the Senate if we have to intervene on this issue".
    "We'll assess the alterations that are proposed." The president of magistrates' union ANM, Eugenio Albamonte, said the bill "is an intervention that was not needed" and is "a bit confused". He said lawmakers "should not pander to the moods" of society after a string of well-publicised incidents in which homeowners or business owners have been placed under prosecution, but usually acquitted, for shooting dead intruders.
    Anti-mafia writer and social critic accused the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD) of "becoming like the worst rightwing party" in pushing the bill with its junior government partner, the centre right Popular Alternative (AP).
    The debate meanwhile raged on social media.
    Opponents of the bill posted a poster of Quentin Tarantino's film From Dusk Till Dawn, commenting "they've now got license to kill".